Embodiments herein generally relate to method and apparatus embodiments that use communications between document processing devices to automatically provide results of lab tests in a format that is the most appropriate for the office that prescribed the lab tests.
Medical patients are commonly referred for medical tests to a lab by giving the patient a piece of paper (a lab prescription) that describes the tests to be done. At the lab, the patient gives the lab technicians the paper and the lab technicians perform the requested test. Most of the test equipment produces electronic records, but, if the doctor's office is not capable of receiving the electronic data, it must be faxed from the lab to the doctor's office. On the other hand, if the data is returned electronically, it may be difficult to read and review with the patient. This disclosure presents a method and system whereby the results of the lab tests can be delivered to the recipient doctor's office in a form that can be accepted by the doctor's equipment and needs. In addition, the system and methods automatically read and prepare the tests based on the paper carried by the patient. The paper can also include information about the best way to return to test results to the doctor's equipment.
More specifically, the embodiments herein comprise one or more document processing devices, such as a multi-function printer (MFP) or multi-function device (MFD), that reads a request for lab tests and the results from the lab equipment and prepares a report to be transmitted back to the doctor's office. The MFP's controller processes the request and determines the appropriate method by which to reply to the request. The reply will be made either over a public or private (local or wide area) network (e.g., the internet) or by fax depending on the equipment at the recipient doctor's office.
Thus, with embodiments herein, the lab test results will be sent in the form most appropriate to the doctor's office. The appropriate form for submitting the lab results may be determined 1) by entering information at the MFP, 2) by retrieving information from a database either on the MFP or connected to the MFP, or 3) by reading the information from the form. The equipment disclosed herein can include MPFs that are capable of encoding machine readable data (such as glyphs) on the form that may be read by the lab. Such MFPs are able to encode information on the form that indicates the type of tests required so that when the form is scanned at the lab, the lab equipment can be automatically set up for the tests. The apparatus embodiments herein are also able to receive binary data encoded in a fax and process the binary information.
One specific method embodiment herein begins by scanning a document printed by a first document processing device (using a second document processing device separate from the first document processing device). The document has printed thereon machine readable markings (which can only be read by a machine and are not human-readable) as well as any necessary human readable markings (text and graphics). The machine readable markings contain information of a patient, information of at least one lab test to be performed, and formatting information for the return of the lab test results. With embodiments herein, the second document processing device identifies the lab test to be performed on the patient based on the machine readable markings.
Some embodiments herein can use the second document processing device to output to a lab technician the identification of the patient and the identification of the lab test to be performed. For example, a paper based user interface may have, for an identifier, the patient demographic data, and an indication of the preferred format for the data to be returned in machine readable format. This interface would have check boxed for the doctor to indicate the labs requested. A lab technician performs the appropriate lab tests on the patient using various lab testing equipment, that is operatively connected to, or is in communication with the second document processing device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,320 “Integrative Remote Sample Analysis System” teaches how such a lab can be arranged to deliver electronic lab results to a central server and the full disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference. Such a system could output this electronic data to the second document device for appropriate delivery back to the first document device. After these lab tests have been performed on the patient, the second document processing device formats the lab test results to be compatible with the needs of the first document processing device based on the formatting information that is contained within the machine readable markings.
These formatted lab test results are then output from the second document processing device to the first document processing device. These can be output by transmitting the lab test results as a facsimile transmission from the second document processing device to the first document processing device. Alternatively, a second document processing device can output lab test results directly into an electronic medical record (EMR) possibly with the intervention of the first document device. The first device processes the incoming data stream to transform the lab results into a format appropriate to the EMR. For example, the second document processing device may return a fax that is interpreted by the first document processing device as electronic data to be inserted into the EMR. In such a situation, before the document is printed, the method can identify the patient using the EMR system and select the lab test to be performed using the EMR system.
A number of devices embodiments are presented in this disclosure. One of the standalone devices presented herein comprises a document processing device that has a processor that executes instructions stored on connected computer-readable storage media to perform the various operations mentioned herein. Further, this device includes a user interface that can receive information from the patient or a medical provider, a printing engine (operatively connected to the processor) that can print the document, and a scanner (operatively connected to the processor) that scans the document. The processor processes the scanned image to identify the lab test to be performed on the patient, based on the machine readable markings.
This device further includes a communications port or ports that are operatively connected to the processor. The communications port is also operatively connected to the lab testing equipment that is used to perform the lab test on the patient and can receive the lab test results from such lab testing equipment. For example, MFP's are typically set up with two communications ports: an internet port to deliver printable files and a phone port to send and receive faxes. Either of these ports could be used to deliver the lab results depending on the requirements of the office receiving them. The processor formats the lab test results based on the formatting information from the machine readable markings, and the communications port outputs the formatted lab test results. Once again, the communications port can output the lab test results as a facsimile or as data that may be entered into an electronic medical record (EMR).
System embodiments are also disclosed herein. One system embodiment includes a first document processing device and a second document processing device that is in communication with the first document processing device. Each of these devices includes, respectively, first and second processors operatively connected to first and second computer-readable storage media. Again, the processors execute instructions stored on the first and second computer-readable storage media. Such devices also include, respectively, first and second printing engines, first and second scanners, and first and second communication ports, and first and second user interfaces (each of which is operatively connected to their respective processors).
In the description of this exemplary system embodiment, the “first” document processing device will be located at the medical provider's office that issues the lab test prescription, and the “second” document processing device will be located at the lab testing facility. The first document processing device and the second document processing device can be identical devices or different devices that can communicate with one another. Thus, the first printing engine prints the machine readable markings that contain information of the patient, information of the lab test(s) to be performed, and formatting information.
The patient then generally carries the printed document to the lab testing facility and presents the printed document to a lab technician, who then scans the document using the second document processing device. Thus, the second scanner produces a scanned image and the second processor processes the scanned image to identify the lab test to be performed on the patient based on the machine readable markings. The second document processing device can then print or display, for the lab technician, an identification of the patient and an identification of the lab test to be performed (using the second printing engine or the second user interface).
One feature of the embodiments herein is that the second communications port is operatively connected to the lab testing equipment used to perform the lab tests on the patient and therefore electronically receives the lab test results from the lab testing equipment. Another feature of the embodiments herein is that the second processor formats the lab test results based on the formatting information from the machine readable markings to convert the lab test results into a format that can be used by the first document processing device.
Then, after the lab test results are properly formatted for the first document processing device, the second communications port outputs the formatted lab test results to the first communications port. Once again, the communications port can output the lab test results as a facsimile or electronic data prepared for inclusion in a medical record. The first device then can output the data to an EMR system operatively connected to the first document processing device. In such a situation, if the lab report needs to be printed, the method can identify the patient using the EMR system and select the lab test to be printed using the EMR system.
These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.